Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Monday received Sh280 million from the private sector to support the drought-response kitty. 

The contribution was from the Kenya Private Sector Alliance and other partners that have been mobilizing support under the Pamoja Tuungane initiative. 

Speaking on Monday when he received the contribution at the Kempinski Hotel in Nairobi, the DP asked the private sector to be more generous as he acknowledged the task facing the new administration. 

The DP said the Government urgently needed Sh2 billion to boost the ongoing mitigation efforts urging the corporate sector to be more generous.

While acknowledging the contributions the corporate sector had already made, he said the government required more to effectively battle drought that has ravaged almost half of the counties. 

“Kindly dig deeper into your pockets and see what more you can give us. It will be very sad if a Kenyan dies or a child misses going school because of lack of food. Please do what you can. The government will respond in kind,” said the DP who is coordinating the response initiatives.  

The prolonged drought has exposed over 4 million Kenyans to a biting hunger.

The government has already distributed tonnes of relief food to affected families in some of the counties severely affected by the drought, one of the worst the country has faced in decades.

The DP said the government was also working on long-term solutions to the cyclic droughts.  

“Begging is humiliating. We will be looking for a long-term solution so we don’t keep begging for donations every year,” he said.

He also warned against any attempts by unscrupulous individuals to steal the donations saying stern action will be taken against those who do so.

“There are those who will take advantage of the difficult situation to try to enrich themselves. It is unfortunate, immoral, ungodly and unacceptable,” he said.